Dolphins' defense likes challenge of leading the team

Rookie DE Dion Jordan will get his chance, too, as "signifcant" part of gameplan

September 3, 2013|By Chris Perkins, Staff writer

DAVIE — — Last season, Baltimore won the Super Bowl partly because of the strength of its defense. San Francisco reached the Super Bowl largely on the strength of its defense.

Go back a few years and you'll recall the New York Jets going to back-to-back AFC championship games on the strength of their defense. Go back a few years further and you might remember Tampa Bay winning a Super Bowl because of its defense.

"We can be one of those defenses right now," Soliai said. "That's been our main goal since we all got together, we want to try to one of the top defenses, like Baltimore, the 49ers, the Jets. We've got the players, but we've got show it on game day."

One of the Dolphins' most watched players on game day will be Jordan, the No. 3 pick of the draft. Although Jordan missed the last three preseason games while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, he figures to get plenty of opportunity to show what he can do during Sunday's regular-season opener at Cleveland.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle refused to divulge how Jordan would be used, but he said Jordan, who has been used primarily as a third-down pass rusher, is "going to have a significant role in the game plan this week, I guarantee you that."

That should help the Dolphins tremendously because while defense doesn't win titles the way it did in the past, it can still be a huge help. Wake, who had a career-best 15 sacks last season, relishes the opportunity for his cohorts to serve in that capacity.

"I accept all challenges," he said of the Dolphins being a team led by their defense. "I think when you look at the way this team is set up, I think it can be that."

The conventional path to NFL riches nowadays is with a strong-armed quarterback flanked by a talented corps of receivers and tight ends that can put points on the board. The Dolphins think they have that in quarterback Ryan Tannehill and wide receivers Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline. But it might not be enough. That's where the playmaking defense comes in handy.

"I know our offense is going to get it rolling, and hopefully it will be this Sunday," Coyle said. "But in our room, we talk about if we play the way we're capable of playing, we're going to have a shot to win a lot of football games, and that's what we expect."

Last season, the Dolphins led the league by allowing opponents to only convert 42.6 percent of their red zone trips into touchdowns. They were seventh in points allowed per game (19.8), and 11th in third-down conversion percentage (36.6 percent).

But they need to be better. The Dolphins were 21st in total defense (356.8 yards per game) and only created 16 takeaways, which ranked 29th in the NFL.

"I think we dropped 17 interceptions," cornerback Nolan Carroll said. "We would have led the league in turnovers if we just catch them. ... So there's a lot of things we were near top of the league in, except for turnovers.

"So if we can get that on the other side we should be pretty good. I think we're capable to be how San Francisco, how Baltimore is. We have the makeup, we have the mindset of the two. Time will tell. We're just ready to put it all together this Sunday against the Browns."